Firefly
by Cinnamon Spice A.K.A. Kirby
Summary: Pirates. I hate pirates. It’s because of pirates I lost my father. It’s because of pirates I lost everything I own. It’s because of pirates I fell in love with someone who I cannot have. Post AWE.
1. Chapter 1

Pirates. I hate pirates. It's because of pirates I lost my father. It's because of pirates I lost everything I own. It's because of pirates I fell in love with someone who I cannot have.

"_Come along, Sarah. We'll stay here and they won't find us. Come quickly. They're coming. Stay here. I'll be back." _ Those were the last words my father ever said to me. I stayed hidden behind the cargo until the boat crumbled up and went into the watery depths below. I clung to a piece of driftwood like my life depended on it, because it did. I'm not sure how long I lay there, four hours at the most, but when I saw that ship on the sun setting horizon, I almost died. I used the last of my energy waving one of my arms in the air to try to get the ships attention, and it came to me. I started weeping, knowing I was probably the only survivor of the attack. As the ship came closer, I saw no signs of a crew; it looked completely empty.

A small boat came from the ship, an old man rowing it towards the wreck. He dropped a rope into the water and started to row away.

"Hey! Hey! Over here!" I yelled as loud as I could. The man turned around, his eyes big and wide, and started to row towards me. My heart was racing. I was going to be rescued. The man came and helped into the boat. His hands were covered in wet gloves and his stringy black hair was long underneath his wet hat.

"How did you survive?" He asked me after I was safely in the boat. His voice was soft and kind, and it reminded me of my fathers.

"I don't know. But I don't think anyone else did, though," I said, rubbing my arms to try and get warm.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here. Don't you worry." The rest of the ride was in silence.

When we arrived at the ship, I climbed the ladder and onto the deck, and I saw no crew. I was surprised that no one was on it.

"Where is everyone?" I asked the man.

"It's just me and my boy on here. We have a job to do." He answered, before walking away.

I ran after him.

"What is it that you and your son do, sir?" I asked, not wanting to be left alone.

"It's too grim for a lady's ears." Was all that he said before getting me a blanket to keep warm with.

I sat on the deck with my back against the railing and an apple in my hand. I was scared, hungry, and tried, but I didn't want to sleep. I wanted to know what was to be my fate on this crewless ship. I waited as the old man went to go talk to the Captain about what was to happen to me. I didn't want to leave the ship because I would die in the ocean and I could leave the next time it made port. I sunk my teeth into the green flesh of the apple, quietly munching away my hunger as the old man came out of the Captain's Quarters. Behind him, was a fairly young man, who looked a little bit older than myself.

"Sarah?" The young man asked.

"Yes, sir?" I said, looking him strait in his dark brown eyes.

"Mr. Turner tells me that you were the sole survivor the ship wreck. Is this true?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well then, I think it would only be proper if you stayed here on this ship and helped my father and I out. How does that sound?"

"It sounds wonderful, sir. Thank you very much." I said as I stood up.

"Mr. Turner will show you your living quarters and you are to report on deck when Mr. Turner wakes you. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"And Sarah. My name is Captain Will Turner."

"Ok, Captain." I said as Mr. Turner led me below deck. He led me to a small corner of the cargo area that held a hammock and a trunk.

"You can put up a curtain if you like." Mr. Turner said.

"Thank you," I said as Mr. Turner walked back up to the deck.

I laid down in the hammock and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I went though the trunk that was next to my hammock, to see if there was anything I could wear in it. I found a pair of faded black pants and a faded white shirt. I kept my corset, but loosed it so I could to work, and put the pants and the shirt on. I found a pair of boots in there too, which would be easier to work in. After I was done getting dressed, I started to go up the steps when Mr. Turner came down to wake me.

"Good morning, Mr. Turner." I said before we both went up on deck.

"Have you eaten anything?" Mr. Turner asked.

"Not since yesterday." I said, looking out at the sea.

"Well, here. Eat this," He said, thrusting an apple and a few strips of jerky into my hand, "You'll need your strength."

"What will I be doing today?" I asked, before taking a bite of the apple.

"You'll be scrubbing the deck." Captain Turner said, standing in the doorway of his quarters. I noticed his shirt was open and reveled his muscled chest. A thin scar ran across where his heart is. A small smirk played across his full lips.

"Ok." I said, before finishing my apple and throwing the core over the side. I finished my jerky and took the bucket that Mr. Turner had given me and tied a rope to it and threw it over the side to get water. I hoisted it back over the side and dumped it on the deck. I took the brush that Mr. Turner also gave me, and started scrubbing the deck, trying to get all the muck off of the wood. I had to make several trips to get water just to finish one section, and I wasn't even halfway done. This was gonna be a long day...


	2. Chapter 2

My back was beginning to hurt after about an hour of scrubbing the deck. Every now and then I would straiten up, crack my back, and I'd get right back to work. I didn't want to be seen as a slacker and get thrown off. At about high noon, I was done with the ships waist so I started on the quarterdeck. Mr. Turner was up in the crow's nest, looking for land I assumed, but it looked like he was sleeping. Captain Turner was behind the wheel and I could feel his eyes on me as I scrubbing, but whenever I looked at him, he quickly went back to looking at the sea. I had to get up every once and a while to get more water and I was careful not to get the captain wet.

I had not spoken to the captain since yesterday; he was very intimidating and I did not want to get on his bad side.

After several more trips to get more water and about an hour of scrubbing, I was finally done with the quarterdeck. I started to walk off of the quarterdeck to go scrub the forecastle deck, when Captain Turner called my name. I turned around and saw he was holding a small wooden box.

"Here," He said, "Put this on your face and arms. It'll protect you from the sun." I took the box from him and opened it. Inside was a dark paste that smelled of tar and olive oil. I put a little on my face and a little on my arms.

"Thank you, Captain Tur-" I began to say, but he cut me off.

"Call me Will," He said, a small smile played across his lips.

"Ok. Thank you, Will." I said, smiling back. I grabbed my bucket and made my way to the forecastle deck. It didn't take me that long to do that one, it was much smaller than the rest.

I could not tell what time it was while on a ship. I never could. So when Mr. Turner started to come down from the crows nest, I figured it was maybe four o'clock or so. I lounged on the steps leading to the quarterdeck, letting the sun warm my skin. I was very tired and my arms ached, but I didn't complain. I didn't really want to complain.

When Mr. Turner came onto the ships waist, he took out his flask and took a long swig from it. He walked up the opposite set of stairs to get to his son and handed him the flask. I could hear that they were having a conversation, so I decided to leave them alone and walked over to the railing on the ships waist. The sea was calm today and the sky was a clear blue. There was no wind but we were still moving forward. Neither Mr. Turner nor Will had told me what the ships name is or even what it does. It made me wonder why they didn't tell me right away, but I soon forgot when I went to sleep.

"Sarah," Will said as he came down the stairs over to me, "Come join us for dinner. You've worked hard today, you deserve to sit down and eat something."

"Ok," I replied, following him to his Captain's Quarters.

When I walked in, my boots sunk into a soft carpet and my eyes drunk in the elaborate carvings on the walls and furniture. There were swords everywhere, very elaborate swords. The table was covered in a white linen tablecloth with designs embroidered on the edges. There was a bowl of bright green apples in the center of the table along with a plate of jerky and a bowl of soup. There was hard looking bread beside the soup and a bottle of amber looking fluid. There were three plates, three bowls and three mugs set out. Mr. Turner was sitting behind one of the plates, his head bowed down. I took the seat across from him and Will sat at the head of the table.

We said a small blessing for the people who have lost their lives at sea, and then began eating. I took an apple, and a piece of bread and filled my bowl with soup. Will and Mr. Turner talked of the sea while we ate, and I gladly didn't say anything. I took small, quiet sips of my soup and put the apple in the pocket of my pants. The bread wasn't as hard as it looked and it went really well with the soup.

"Sarah, drink something. You must be parched." Mr. Turner said, pouring me a glass of the amber liquid.

"Thank you." I said, before taking a small sip of it. I recognized it right away as rum, something my father drank occasionally. The warmth of the rum went all the way to my toes and sent me back to England with my father. It was a surprisingly comforting to drink.

"So Sarah," Will started, "Tell us about yourself."

"Well, uh, lets see here," I said nervously, "My father and I were on our way over from England to live with his brother in Port Royal. My mother died when I was really young so I don't really remember her too much."

"I see. What happened to the ship that was taking you to Port Royal?"

"We were attacked by pirates. As soon as the first one got onto the deck, my father took me below and hid me. He said he was going to come back, but he never did."

"Oh, you poor child." Mr. Turner said to me.

"I'm not technically a child. I had my 19th birthday last month. But since I had no suitors back in England, I had to go with my father."

"I find that hard to believe, Sarah. How could a girl as pretty as you not have any suitors?" Mr. Turner asked before taking a bite out of an apple.

"I don't know. My father always called me his little firefly when I was younger. He said that when I was older, I would have dozens of suitors, like a firefly." Tears began to form in my green eyes and dabbed at them with my finger.

The rest of dinner was in silence.


	3. Authors Note

A/N: Hey guys, sorry if this story is a little confusing. It will all come together soon. Don't worry. I have finals right now, but tomorrow is my last day of school so I'll have more time to focus on writing and pleasing you guys. I didn't really think I wrote the 2nd chapter that well, so I think I might rewrite it. I was in a big rush so that's why it wasn't as good as it could've been. I'll have the 3rd one posted by Thursday afternoon. If not then, Friday morning. I would like to thank you wonderful reviewers who reviewed my story.

Captain-Rogue-River- I'm glad you like my story and I hope you keep reading as the plot thickens.

Padme4000 – I'm glad you loved my story.

acacia59601 – Thanks. Most of my stories start out strong but then get weak, but I have a good feeling about this one. And yes, this is a Will/OC paring.

Captain Kris – Sorry I won' t be posting another chapter till later. Hope this helps?

NickiHartistheName422 – Thanks for the kind words. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.

Icelands – Thanks for reviewing. And to answer your question, no, Sarah is not dead. I will clear up how I think people are ferried to the afterlife in the next chapter. It's kinda weird and I'm still trying to get everything straight in my mind. But thanks for the review.

This is a sneak peek for next time...

_After dinner, I didn't really feel like talking anymore, so I left right away. The warm sea air felt comforting against my face. I kept replaying what happened at dinner in my mind. I didn't really want to talk about what had happened yesterday, but I couldn't tell that to them. _

_I sighed and leaned up against the rail watching the sun set on the horizon. The different hues blended so you couldn't tell where the sky met the sea. I closed my eyes and breathed in the salty sea air. I pushed back my dark blonde hair out of my face when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and came face to face with Will, his skin glowing from the setting sun. I wanted so badly to turn around and touch it, but I kept my hands at my side. _

Hope that keeps you content till next time.


	4. Chapter 3

After dinner, I didn't really feel like talking anymore, so I left right away. The warm sea air felt comforting against my face. I kept replaying what happened at dinner in my mind. I didn't really want to talk about what had happened yesterday, but I couldn't tell that to them.

I sighed and leaned up against the rail watching the sun set on the horizon. The different hues blended so you couldn't tell where the sky met the sea. I closed my eyes and breathed in the salty sea air. I pushed back my dark blonde hair out of my face when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and came face to face with Will, his skin glowing from the setting sun. I wanted so badly to turn around and touch it, but I kept my hands at my side.

"Hello, Will." I said, looking him straight into his warm brown eyes.

"Sarah," Will started, "My father and I haven't been completely honest with you."

"Oh?"

"Yes, you see, this is no ordinary ship you're on. This, my dear, is The Flying Dutchman. My father and I take the souls of people who have died at sea to the afterlife."

I was speechless. How is that possible? The Flying Dutchman isn't real. It's just a ship from a story to keep children out of the harbor. It's just like The Black Pearl and Jack Sparrow. They don't really exist. Do they?

"It can't be," I finally said, "The Flying Dutchman is captained by Davy Jones."

"Not anymore. I killed him. The Dutchman must have a captain. I am its captain now." Will said, not looking at me.

"But, how?"

"That's a story for another day," Will said as he pulled a knife out of his pocket, "But for now, I need you to do something for me."

"W-what would you like me to do?" I asked, pushing myself against the rail.

"I need you to swear that you'll serve The Flying Dutchman. Read this as you cut a line on your palm." Will handed me a piece of paper out of his pocket and the knife.

I placed the knife on my palm and cut it. I winced a little but gave it back to Will. Then I proceeded to read the paper.

"I pledge to myself to the Flying Dutchman. I pledge to serve my captain. I pledge to never hold a mutiny. I pledge to go on account. If any of these pledges are broken, I will cast myself off this ship." I squeezed my hand so the blood would flow in between my knuckles as I read the paper.

"Do I have to sign anything?" I asked when I was done.

"Yes, sign this," Will held out a piece of paper that also had his father's signature on it. I signed right below it.

"There, now that that's all said and done, you may do as you wish unless called upon. You have morning watch, first dog watch and night watch. Morning watch is 4 AM to 8 AM. First dog watch is 4 PM to 6 PM. Night watch is 8 PM to midnight. Do you think you can handle that?" Will asked me. I nodded.

"How will I know when it's on my watch?" I asked.

"Either I or my father will ring a bell every hour. Got that?"

"Yes, Will."

"Now go get some rest. You have first watch in the morning and I want you rested. I'll come wake you when it's time."

I left to go to my hammock below the deck. I stripped down to my chemise that I left there the day before and got in my hammock. As I lay there, swinging softly, I wondered why Will was being so nice. I wondered why he wouldn't tell me how he is now the captain. As these thoughts rushed in and out of my head, I drifted off to sleep.

"Sarah...Sarah...Sarah for gods sake wake up!" Will said as he shook me violently. I jerked up suddenly and almost fell out of my hammock. I stumbled out of the hammock and grabbed a shirt to cover myself.

"God, Will. The curtain is there for a reason!" I said, pulling the shirt over my head quickly.

"Sorry," Will said, with a small smile on his face.

"What time is it?" I asked, grabbing the pants on the floor.

"Four, time for your morning watch. Here, eat this," He threw an apple at me as I was putting on my boots. I grabbed it and put it in my pocket. I still had the apple in there from last night. I put my other boot on and followed Will out to the main mast.

"If you see any wrecked ships, just shout and tell us where it is. That's all you have to do." Will said. I nodded and started to climb the mast to get to the crows nest.

The sky was still dark so it was pretty pointless for me to be up there, but whatever the captain says goes, I guess.

I sunk my teeth into the apple and let the juices flow onto my fingers and dribble down my chin. I wiped the juice off with my sleeve and settled down. I feel asleep after finishing my apple and woke up as the sun was peaking over the watery horizon. I looked down at the quarterdeck and saw Mr. Turner, steering the ship. He reminded me of my father very much and I'm glad to be on the same crew as him.

I kept my eye out for wrecked ships, but as early as this is, I doubted there would be anything. If anything, there might be a ship with a wrecked side, but other than that, nothing.

I fell asleep again, after about another hour of looking for ships. When I woke, Mr. Turner was yelling for me to come down. As I was climbing down the main mast, my boot slipped on a rope about halfway down and I started to fall. I felt the wind rushing past me and I got closer to the ship's waist. I closed my eyes tight right before I slammed onto the deck. My back and head suffered the most, and both were throbbing madly. I bit my lip to take my mind off the pain in my back and in my head, but that just caused my lip to bleed. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth as Mr. Turner and Will came running towards me. I tried to get up, but I just fell back down. I felt my body leave the ground. I opened my eyes and saw Will carrying me.

"I just need to lay down for a minute," I told him, "Then I'll be fine."

"I don't think that will help you any, Sarah," Will said, concern filled his voice, "I think maybe an hour or so of rest should help your back. I'm not too sure about your head." I nodded and fell asleep in his arms.

When I awoke, the sun was still out and Will was standing over me. I stood up, my legs slightly shaking, reached into my pocket to get my apple, and took a bite out of it.

"See, I told you I would be fine." I said, a small smirk on my face.

"But...how did you know?" Will asked me.

"When I was younger, I always fell out of this big tree in my yard, and I would hurt all over, but after I laid down for a few minutes, I was fine." I took another bite out of my apple. Will held his gaze for a bit longer, then looked away.

"So, you'll be able to do your first dog watch?" Will asked, a smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, why would I not?" I said, a smile on my face and taking a bite of my apple.

"I...I don't know." Silence fell over the both of us.

"What time is it?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Almost two. You were out for a while."

"Will! Is Sarah ok?" I heard Mr. Turner yell from a faraway place.

"Yes, she's fine." Will yelled back. He seemed happy to tell his father that. I smiled a little before finishing off my apple and throwing the core overboard. Will went back to steering. He looked so handsome and brave behind the ships wheel. I shook my head to rid my thoughts of Will. He was my captain. Nothing more.

I didn't know what I was going to do for the next hour. I was dreadfully bored. I watched as Will would steer the ship for a while, then go fix the sails or adjust something, then go right back to steering. It amazed me that he could do this all on his own. I wanted to help, but I didn't even know where to begin. Maybe later he would teach me, but for now, I had to watch out for ships. I sighed, leaned against the rail, and watched the bright blue green water. Wondering how many secrets it kept beneath its surface. Wondering how many unknown graves were right beneath the beautiful water.

"Sarah!" Will yelled. I jerked my head up towards where he was.

"What Will?" I asked, still leaning on the rail.

"It's four. Time for your watch." Will replied. I nodded and walked toward the mast. Mr. Turner was already out of the crow's nest and on the deck. I sighed and started to climb the mast. When I arrived, I settled in and propped my feet against the side. I prepared myself for about two hours of staring at nothing but a blue green sea, and a bright, cloudless sky. I started to close my eyes, to soak up some sun, when a wake crashed against the side of the ship. I jerked up and saw a dark spot on the sea. I looked around and found a spyglass in the crow's nest. I opened it, and saw a broken mast and part of a deck in the middle of the water.

"Will!" I shouted, "There's a wrecked ship out there!" I saw Will take out his spyglass and look at the ship.

"Sarah. Come on down here." Will shouted back at me. I climbed down, extra careful this time, and when I got to the ships waist, Mr. Turner was getting this rowboat ready.

"Sarah, help my father prepare." Will said, walking back to the ships wheel. I helped Mr. Turner gather several ropes that were braided in such a way; I couldn't tell which bunch traveled up and down it.

"What kind of rope is this?" I asked, while rolling it up into coils.

"It helps the souls go into their next life. There are two different ropes we have. Yours leads the souls to heaven. This one," He picked up another rope, "however, leads them to eternal damnation." Mr. Turner explained. I nodded, half understanding how it works.

"I have everything I need. You stay down here in case Will needs something."

"Yes, Mr. Turner," I said.

"And Sarah, call me Bill. Mr. Turner makes me feel old." Bill said with a smile.

"Ok, Bill." I smiled at him before helping him lower himself into the water. I walked over to Will as soon as Bill was safely in the water. He had a serious look on his face but was focused on nothing.

"Do you want me to go back up on watch?" I asked, hoping the answer was no.

"No, Sarah. Its fine if you stay down here. You can cook dinner for us if you like," Will said jokingly.

"I'll do it," I said, "I cooked all the time for my father. And it will give me something to do. But you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"You have to teach me how to adjust the sails and whatnot. I hate just sitting here."

"Ok. Tomorrow, after your morning watch. I'll show you how to do all that stuff." Will replied with a smile. I smiled back and looked out onto the water to see Bill coming back towards the boat.

"I better go start dinner," I said, "Where's all the food and the cooking area?"

"It's below deck. It's on the opposite side of where you sleep." Will replied, his brown eyes bearing into mine.

"Ok. I'll call you when it's ready." I went below deck and filled a bowl up with apples that I found in a crate. It wasn't hard to find any rum, so I took a bottle of it. I mixed some broth and vegetables together in a bowl to make soup. The bread was hard and stale, but it's the best that we have. It took me a while to find the jerky, but I filled a bowl with it and started to go back up to the deck.

It was almost six when I had everything on the table in the Captains Quarters. I went out to go get Will and Bill, but they were already standing there, waiting.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Come in and eat." I said. I felt my face grow hot. I felt bad for making them wait.

We all sat around the table and said a small blessing for those who have lost their lives at sea, the same thing we did the previous night. I poured myself some rum and took some soup and bread.

"Sarah, this is good. What did you put in the broth?" Bill asked, taking a bite of bread.

"Just some vegetables I found. The soup last night was good, but it was just broth, so I thought something else would be good in it too," I said, taking a sip of my rum. Will smiled while he ate his food and talked to his father. I sat there in silence. I was happy to be an observer on their conversion.

Dinner was a silent event on my part. Not that I don't like talking. I love it, but I didn't want Will and Bill to judge me on what I would say. It's childish, I know, but still. I wanted to prove that I could handle being a sailor before they judged me. When they were done, I took their dishes and glasses down and washed them as best I could. I took the leftover food back down too, expect for an extra apple, which I put in my pocket for my night watch.

When I was done, I laid on a bench and starred at the stars. I could see every star in the sky and I loved that. As soon as I closed my eyes, I heard footsteps come towards me.

"Mind if I join you?" Will's voice asked.

"Nope. Just looking at the stars." I replied, almost whispering. I sat up and he sat next to me. The stars made his eyes sparkle even more.

"So," Will started, breaking the silence, "what were you like when you were younger?" I blushed.

"I was very awkward. I was an only child and my father's friends only had boys. I grew up playing with them and I wore pants. That's probably why I didn't have any suitors." I said, looking away.

"I find that very hard to believe," Will said, half to him, half to me.

"Well, what about you? What's your story?" I asked him.

"I lived in England till I was ten, then my mother died. I never knew my father so I took a ship to Port Royal. It got attacked and a ship that was taking the Governor to Port Royal rescued me. I was taken in as an apprentice for a drunken blacksmith. When I was about 18, I met Jack Sparrow. He and I had to go rescue one of m-my friends. After that I went back to Port Royal."

"How did you become captain of The Flying Dutchman?"

"That's a story for another day. Not now." Will sounded slightly angry with this.

"I'm sorry. So, Jack Sparrow is really real?" I asked, changing the tone.

"Yes. He's very real. He's rather addicted to rum," Will smiled at this, "He can be a real friend, or a real jack ass."

"But are those stories they say true? Did he really get off that island on sea turtles?"

"Some of the stories are true. The sea turtles one...not so much."

We both laughed at this. I stifled a yawn, knowing my night watch was coming up.

"Sarah, why don't you go and get some sleep. Bill is at the wheel tonight and he has a good eye." Will said, standing up.

"Really? Wow, that'd be great Will. Thanks." I told him as I stood up. I gave him a small hug and went below deck to my hammock.

I changed out of my shirt and pants and slipped my chemise on. I left my corset on the floor and bound my chest with a strip of cloth I had found. It made it easier to breath and to work in. I laid down in my hammock and fell into a deep sleep.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys. It's me...again. Anyway, I would just like to say I'm loving how people are reading my story, but I'm not loving how people aren't reviewing. I can make the story better if you review and tell me what I'm doing wrong, or doing right. But if you guys would like to talk to me and give me feedback while I'm writing, my screen name for AIM is HopelessLuv84. I'm always on cause I have no life. I'd love to get some feedback from you guys. Ok, on with the story!

I awoke to the sounds of footsteps coming towards my sleeping area. I quickly grabbed my shirt and pulled it over my head. I was putting my belt on just as Will walked in.

"You still don't see the curtain there do you?" I asked, walking towards him.

"You were dressed. It doesn't count." Will said. A smile played across his lips. I

smiled back and walked past him to go on my watch. I took an apple out of my pants and sunk my teeth into the bright green flesh. I chewed slowly, wanting to finish my apple before climbing up the mast.

I tossed my core over the side of the ship and began to climb the mast. When I got to the crows nest, it was still dark out. My mind wandered and I soon fell asleep.

_The men on the ship were dieing fast and the pirates were more numerous than ever. James Brown was fighting off the pirates as best he could. He had to get back to his daughter. She was his whole life and he had to see her face one more time. He cursed the pirates as they were coming from everywhere. Gunshots and explosions were happening all around him and it was hard to see in the mist of all the chaos and smoke. He turned around to go check on his daughter and felt a sharp pain in his stomach. A sword had pierced him and blood was oozing slowly out of his body. _

_"Sarah. My firefly. My fi-" Were the last words James Brown ever said. A dark shadow fell over his body and the silhouette of a pirate lay over him, laughing. _

I woke with a start. Sweat was on my forehead and my hands were shaking. I looked down and the deck looked so far away. I felt sick and shut my eyes tightly.

"It was just a dream. Just a dream." I kept telling myself, but I didn't believe it. I heard Will ring the bell six times and groaned. I still had two hours left on my watch. I ran my fingers though my hair to try to calm my nerves. That didn't really work. I watched the water then, looking for wrecked ships poking out of the watery surface. The endless blue water was very redundant but every now and then, I'd see a fish jump out of the water. I counted six fish in the hour that jumped out of the water. I heard Will shouting orders at his father and watched as his father did what he was told to do. It amazed me how he knew exactly what to do if the wind died down or a wave crashed against the side of the ship. I was eagerly awaiting the lesson Will and I had planned for later today.

The warm sun soaked into my skin and was very comforting. I had noticed that my skin had gotten slightly darker and my hair was getting lighter. My pale skin had been shielded behind closed doors after I had turned ten. It was horrible not going out in the sun and playing. I would often watch the boys I had grown up with play outside on the docks or in the street.

I heard Will ring the bell eight times and I began to climb down the mast to the deck. When I got to the deck, Bill tossed me an apple before he climbed up the mast. I sunk my teeth into the green flesh of apple and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor. I looked over at Will, who was behind the wheel and I went onto the quarterdeck.

"So, you really knew Jack Sparrow?" I asked, taking another bite of my apple.

"Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow. And yes, I did know him." Will replied, a small smile on his face.

"What was he like, besides a jackass half the time?" Will had a shocked looked on his face after I said 'jackass', but it soon wore off.

"He was very unpredictable. He loved rum and women. Knowing him, he probably has a child or two somewhere. He worked very hard to get back his ship."

"What happened to it?"

"His first mate and his crew marooned him on an island and left him for dead. His crew then went to Isla de Muerta and took this cursed treasure that turned them into the living dead. My father sent me one of the coins so that the crew remained cursed for what they did to Jack."

"Sounds very exciting." I said, finishing my apple and throwing the core over the side.

"Yes, it was. But Jack's old crew attacked Port Royal and kidnapped my f-friend. That's where I met up with him."

Will told me what happened after he and Jack had teamed up and gotten a crew. It all sounded very exciting and I wished I had been around to witness it all. He told me of how they needed his blood to lift the curse and how Jack finally got his ship back. I smiled and gasped at all the right parts and Will seemed to enjoy telling me his tales with Captain Jack Sparrow.

After Will was done with the stories, silence fell between us. So I decided to break the silence.

"Will, are you ever going to teach me how to be a deckhand?" I asked, a hopeful look in my eyes.

Will groaned. "I knew you'd be asking me that sooner rather than later." Will smiled though, and ran his fingers though his dark hair.

"Ok," Will finally said, "I guess I can show you some things to start out with." I smiled brightly and gave Will a hug, before remembering my place and letting go.

"Sorry," I mumbled, a little embarrassed at my actions.

"It's fine. Lets get to work. I'm just going to teach you some simple commands and stuff like that. Ok, so to our right here, we have starboard and to our left, we have port. An easy way to remember this is port is spelled with four letters like left. Got it?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Now, the front of the ship is called the bow and the back is called the stern. So if I were to say, weigh anchor on the starboard side, that would mean lift the anchor on the right side. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Ok, and if that ever were to happen, my father would be down here with us. Tomorrow, I'll teach you some other commands, but for now, go and rest. You have first watch this afternoon and we don't want you falling asleep again." Will said with a twinkle in his eye. I blushed and frowned.

"I don't want to sleep like I did last time. I saw my father die in my dreams. I'm afraid that I'll see it more clearly next time." I said, blushing at the fact that I was afraid.

"It's fine. Just go lay down and eat something. You'll be fine." Will said, patting my shoulder.

I walked under the deck to get some jerky and rum. I went back up to the forecastle deck and soaked up some sun while eating.


	6. Chapter 5

I had been sitting in the crow's nest for quite some time now and I was getting rather bored. It was just the same thing everywhere: endless amounts of water. I sighed and took a bite out of my apple, letting the tart juices burn my cut lip. I looked down and saw Will behind the wheel. His eyes were focused solely on the sea before him. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned and his toned chest was visible, as was his scar. I often wondered what he was thinking about while behind the wheel of The Flying Dutchman. It startled me that he never spoke of a lover, for he was handsome enough to get who ever he wanted. Maybe he was in love with the sea, as most pirates are. I sighed again and took yet another bite of my apple.

I looked out into the water and saw something. I took out my spyglass and looked into it. It was a ship, most of it still intact. The sails were ripped and torn and main mast was missing. It appeared to have hit the rock that it was on.

"Will!" I shouted, "There's a ship out there! I think it hit a rock or something!"

"Ok, Sarah," Will said, "Come down and help my father!" I did as he said. As I helped Bill gather the ropes, I noticed movement on the rock.

"Bill, what if there's survivors out there?" I asked, putting the rope into coils.

"Then they either have the choice to die, or to come aboard and become part of the crew." Bill replied, putting the supplies into the boat. After I helped lower Bill into the water, I went over and stood by Will, who was watching his father.

"I think some people survived, Will." I said, resting my hand on the railing.

"I think you're right." Will said, a stern look on his face.

Sure enough, Bill brought back three young men with him. They introduced themselves as Matthew, John, and James. Matthew, the oldest of the three, had short red hair and freckles dusted across his nose. He had a playful look about him, even though his clothes were tattered and looked bloody. His blue eyes were almost the color of the ocean. He was tall, but not as tall as Will. John looked to be about my age and had wavy blonde hair that had been bleached from the sun. His tan skin made his hair stand out even more. His hazel eyes looked slightly frightened. He smiled at me and I responded by raising my eyebrow, something I inherited from my father. His arm was bloody and slightly burned. James looked like he was related to Matthew, for he also had red hair and a tall frame. Although he didn't have freckles, I could still see the family resemblance in his blue eyes. He was the only one out of the three that didn't look hurt. I stayed on the quarterdeck while Will talked to them.

"Sarah!" Will yelled. I snapped into focus.

"Yes?" I asked, walking down the stairs to where they were.

"Show these gentlemen their quarters and clean up Matthew and John. We have some strips of cloth for bandages next to the rum."

"Yes, Will. Follow me." I said, going below the deck to show then where they'd sleep.

"You can pick which hammock you sleep in. It doesn't really matter to me. But whatever you do, don't go behind the curtain if it's closed. Got that?" I said, trying to sound somewhat harsh. They nodded in response. I went and got some rum and cloth to clean Matthew and John's wounds.

"Sit here," I said, pointing to a wooden box. All three sat on the box.

"Where are you hurt?" I asked Matthew.

"Right here," Matthew said, lifting up his shirt, revealing his muscular abs. On his left side, blood was slowly seeping out. I dipped a rag in the rum to clean the wound and wound another strip of cloth from his left side to his right shoulder and back again, making sure it would stay put. I could see Matthew slightly blushing as I did this.

"Thank you." He said.

"No problem. Now, John, where are you hurt?"

"On my arm." John said as he pulled up this shirtsleeve on his right arm. A slightly deep gash was on his forearm and his blood coated his shirtsleeve. I soaked the cloth with the rum and cleaned his wound. A sharp intake of breath came out when the rum first hit it.

"Sorry," I said, wiping the rest of the blood off.

"It's ok." He replied, running his fingers though is blonde hair with his free hand.

I took another piece of cloth and wound it around his arm, making it tight and secure, that way the blood would at least stop coming out.

"Thanks." John said, pulling his sleeve back down.

"No problem. But if I were you, I'd get a new shirt. You won't be able to move that arm after the blood dries." I said, walking back up to the main deck.

It was about four when the boys came up. John wasn't wearing a shirt and his tan, toned chest was exposed. I looked away, knowing it was too bold to look at something like that.

"I couldn't find any clean shirts down there, Captain. I'll just wash my shirt and wear it when it's clean." John said.

"Alright, John. So, lets lay down some rules. Rule one: Never go behind the curtain down there," Will started.

"They already know that, Will." I said, rolling my eyes. He doesn't even follow that rule.

"Ok, anyway, arrive on time at each of your watches. Since we gained more crew, I changed the watch schedule. I'll post it after I finish writing it. I'll ring the bell at the beginning of every hour. So since it's almost five, I would ring the bell five times. Got it?"

The boys nodded, understanding these simple rules.

"Lastly, each night, one of you will have to prepare dinner. Sarah's already done it twice so if you have any questions, ask her. Ok, that's pretty much it. You all can come into my cabin for dinner now if you like." Will said, walking toward the cabin. I followed him as did Bill, but John, James, and Matthew didn't.

"Come on," I said, "It's something to eat, so either eat it, or starve."

The boys followed us into the cabin after the little pep talk. They were amazed at the swords hanging on the wall. Will began talking to them on how he used to make swords. They were very pleased with this and wanted to know more.

I took my place at the table and waited for everyone else to sit. Once they did, we said our small prayer and began to eat. I took an apple and some soup and bread. I ate in silence again, while Will talked with the newcomers about what happened to the ship they were on.

It was apparently a cargo ship and they were taking goods to Port Royal when they went off course and hit the rock. Everyone expect them passed, mostly from drowning. I felt somewhat sad for them, having to work on a cargo ship for a living. It wasn't very exciting and it was a popular target for pirates, if they were carrying cloth.

Dinner went by really fast and I gathered up the dishes and extra food and took them below deck to clean. I put the extra apples and bread back and washed the dishes. I saw John's bloody shirt sitting on a chair, so I put it in the water to soak to help try and get the stain out. I then went to go lay down in my hammock before my night watch. I only had about an hour or so, but it was still enough. But as soon as I fell asleep, Will came and woke me up.

"What happened to the rule about the curtain?" I asked, getting slightly mad at him for breaking his own rule. He rolled his eyes and went back up to the main deck. I followed him, but I saw that Matthew was already up in the crow's nest.

"What do I do now? Matthew is up there." I said, slightly puzzled.

"Stay down here with me. I'll need some company." Will said, walking to the quarterdeck to steer the ship.

"So, what were you going to do in Port Royal?" Will asked me, when I sat on a bench near him.

"My uncle was going to send me to be a maid for a wealthy family. I think it might have been the Beckett's, but I don't remember. It might have been another family. He had it all planned out for me, as if my father didn't know what to do with me. I was to work with a wealthy family, marry someone, then go and have babies to carry on the family name. I don't know if I could have ever done that." I said, looking at my hands. They were starting to become rougher from working.

"Well, that's pretty much what happened to me. Governor Swan sent me to work with a blacksmith and I was to find a suitable wife in my class and take over the business when Mr. Brown left. As you can see, that wasn't the life I had been destined for." Will said. I smiled slightly at this and went looked that the patterns of wood on the ground. Will came and sat next to me on the bench, his hand on my shoulder. I started to panic inside. I could smell the sea on him as he leaned in. I shut my eyes, not knowing what to do. Then I felt his lips on my forehead.

"I...I have to go." I said, before getting up and going back to my hammock below deck. I didn't even bother to undress; I just collapsed in the hammock trying to understand what just happened. It was nothing, I kept telling myself. It's not half as bad as what happens to some people. That comforted me some as I drifted to sleep.


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry it's been a while since I last posted. My life has been kind of hectic for the time being. But I'll try to update again as soon as possible. I hardly ever do this, but you guys leave me no choice. I would like at least five reviews on this chapter before I post the next one. That'll make me a happy writer and happy writers like to write more often. Get the hint? Anyway, enjoy!

I woke up on my own and started brushing my hair when I heard Will walk down the stairs. I pulled my dark blonde hair back into a ponytail and rushed past him to get on my watch. I started to walk towards the mast to climb up it when I saw Matthew out of the corner of my eye.

"Captain says I should take go up and that you stay here," Matthew said.

"Alright. Say, do you have an extra apple?" I asked.

"Yeah, here you go." Matthew said as he tossed me the apple and began to climb the mast.

I leaned against the rail and started eating my apple. I soon saw Will emerge from below the deck and his eyes looked hard. I avoided his gaze, not wanting to talk about how I abruptly left the night before after he kissed my forehead. Quickly, I turned around, leaning against the rail and looking out at the sea. I finished my apple and tossed it over the side.

"Sarah," Will said as he walked past me, "I'm going to need you to sand down and clean the railing." I nodded in response and went below deck to get the bucket and sanding paper. As soon as I stepped below deck, I could feel John's eyes on me as I searched for the items I needed. After I found what I was looking for, I glared at him and walked up onto the deck, the sun starting to peak out over the horizon. I took the bucket and filled it up with water and began to scrub the grime off of the railing. This was a very simple job and I was surprised that Will gave it to me and not Matthew.

When I was finished with one half of the ship, I heard footsteps behind me and I soon felt a hand on my waist. I spun around and came face to face with John, his eyes full of lust.

"John, could you remove your hand off of me before I have to do it for you?" I asked, my voice slightly shaking.

"Now come on, Sarah. You and I both know we're meant for each other," John said, placing his other hand on the other side of me, against the railing.

"I could hurt you very badly if you don't remove your hand." I tried to sound serious, but it just wasn't happening. John chuckled at his. I tried to wiggle out of his grasp and just knocked into his other arm. He took his hand that was on the railing and placed it on my right shoulder. His face was coming closer to mine and I started to panic, so I kicked his left knee and made a run for it. I leaned against the mast and sighed, thinking I was safe.

Apparently, getting kicked in the knees doesn't bother him, and he came after me. He pressed his body up against mine and I could smell rum on his breath.

"After I get though with you, you'll think twice about hurting me," He said huskily and began to kiss and bite my neck. I felt a sharp pain in my skin and realized he had broken the skin. Blood slowly oozed out and I was afraid he would try to rape me.

"John! What in the hell are you doing?" Will yelled as he came down and pulled John off of me.

"Well...I was...uh..." John said as he tried to think of an excuse as to why he was pressed up against me and biting my neck.

"I see. Well, let me clear it up for you. No one, and I mean no one, is to harass Sarah in anyway, shape or form. Is that understood?" John nodded and walked away, but not before casting a glace my way.

My heart, which had been pounding only seconds ago, was now starting to slow down and go back to it's normal pulse. I put my hand to my neck and pulled it away and saw a small amount of blood on it.

"Are you alright?" Will asked as I wiped the blood off on my pants.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I said, not looking at him in the eyes.

"Are you sure? You seem pretty shaken up."

"No, I'll be fine. See?" I said smiling, "I'm already smiling." I laughed a little to try and make it believable.

"Why don't you go get some sleep? Its time for the mid morning watch anyway." Will said.

"Ok. Just wake me when it's time for my next watch," I said as I walked down below deck. I laid in my hammock and soon drifted off to sleep.

"Sarah. My firefly. My fi-" James Brown said just before the last breath left his body. A dark silhouette of a pirate lay across his body, a sword in his hand. The pirate ran his fingers though his hair and headed for the stairs that led to the cargo when he was struck down by a hatchet to the back. Blood oozed out and stained his clothes as he fell to the ground with a soft 'thump'. Fog came in and dissolved the scene and a new one appeared. It was Will, his face sweaty and glowing from the embers below him. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned and reveled his muscular chest, but without the scar. A door opened in the shop and sliver light flooded the room. A silhouette of a young woman stood in the doorway, the shadows showing off her fine clothing. Will stopped what he was doing and walked over to her. He reached out with one hand to touch her face, careful not to get any dirt on her smooth, soft cheeks. She smiled a soft smile as he leaned in and – 

"Sarah, time for your next watch." Will said as he pulled back the curtain. I groaned in response while falling out of my hammock. I fell to the ground with a loud thump and I could hear Will laughing softly. I grabbed an apple on my way out and began eating it. The juices quenched my thirst and the fruit sustained my hunger. I could see John standing behind the wheel, Bill standing next to him, showing him what to do.

"We're training him to work the wheel so that way he won't be able to bother you," Will said, standing behind me. I spun around, not knowing he was there.

"Really? Will, that's so nice. Thank you." I said, and without thinking, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. I blushed slightly before walking away and up to the crow's nest. I glanced over at Will, who had his hand on his cheek, and smiled a little. I began to climb up the mast when James called me down. I got off as he walked up to me.

"Captain wants me in the crow's nest." He said and I groaned.

"Not again," I began pacing, running my fingers though my hair. What did I do? Maybe it was to get the new guys more experienced. Well, whatever it was, it was making me mad.

"What?" James asked, looking slightly worried.

"Nothing, it's nothing. I can deal with it," I said, "Just like I would have to deal if I was the new maid in Beckett's home like my uncle planned."

"You were supposed to go to Port Royal?"

"Yes, but my ship got attacked and then Will and Bill found me. So, here I am. You were going to live there when your cargo ship arrived?"

"Yes, Matthew and I were going to look for our sister but now, we can't."

"I'm so sorry." I said softly.

"It's fine, we've been looking for her for a long time, but have never found her."

"Well, if we ever get to Port Royal, I'll help you look for your sister." James smiled.

"And in return, I shall let you go in the crow's nest today." James said. I smiled and hugged him before climbing the mast. I'm not sure why, but I loved being up here. Maybe it was seeing the same beautiful blue green water everywhere around me. It was probably the warm sun that bathed me in its rays everyday.

A few hours later, I heard someone call my name. I looked down, and there was Will, standing in the middle of the deck.

"Come down and get something to eat!" He yelled, so I climbed down. I followed him to the Captain's Quarters and noticed that everyone was already seated. The food was the same as before; expect the soup looked as if it were steaming.

"Is that soup hot?" I asked, sitting down next to Will.

"Yes, John here made a fire and so now we have hot soup," Bill said, pouring himself a cup of rum.

We said our blessing and began eating.

"So, John. What's your story? How did you get on that cargo ship?" Will asked, taking a bite of bread afterwards.

"Well, my mum died when I was born, so my dad raised me. When I was about four or so, he left me alone in a tavern and some barmaid took me in. When I was ten, I left and started sailing. Every time I made a little bit of money, I would keep half and send the other half to the barmaid that took care of me. I was tossed around from ship to ship till I got on the last one and now, here I am." John said slightly fast. We all nodded afterwards.

"And what of you, Matthew and James. What's your story?" Bill asked after taking a sip of the soup.

"Lets see here, a few years ago, we were on our way back from Port Royal to England, when our ship was attacked by pirates. Both our parents died, but our younger sister survived. When we got to England, we stayed with some relatives and we went to go find work, leaving Rose, our sister, behind. When we got back, they said that she ran away back to home, so we figured it was Port Royal. We've been looking everywhere in the Caribbean for her and she's still lost. Our last stop is Port Royal and when we get off this ship, we're going to keep looking for her," said Matthew. James looked as if he didn't want to remember all the bad things that have happened to them.

"I'm sorry for both of your losses," I said before taking a drink of rum.

Dinner was silent after that. I cleared the table then got ready for my night watch with Will.

I sat down next to him on the bench and watched the black water shimmer in the night. I took a deep breath.

"Will, I just want to say, thank you for everything you've done. I don't know what I would've done." I said, not looking at him.

"It's fine, Sarah. You're a wonderful girl. I'm glad to help you." He said, staring up at the sky.

"I just don't get what John sees in me. I'm nothing special."

"Are kidding me? You're beautiful and you got spunk. Any guy would be lucky to have you on his arm."

"Really? Thanks." I said, smiling.

"You my friend, you're a lot like them but I cut your line and you know I did. Now I'm lost in you like I always do. And I'd die to win 'cause I'm born to lose." Will said. I was slightly confused, but he kept on talking.

"Firefly could you shine your light? Now I know your ways 'cause they're just like mine. Now I'm justified as I fall in line and it's hard to try when your open wide. You can bring me your enemies, lay them before me and walk away."

"Will, what are you trying to say?" I said, looking deep into his eyes.

"This." He said, as he leaned in, and kissed me under the twinkling stars.


End file.
